


Reasons to not be tired

by Rozilla



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Awesome Jane Foster, BAMF Jane Foster, Gen, If She Be Worthy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-23 03:33:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13181487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rozilla/pseuds/Rozilla
Summary: Jane has really REALLY had enough of your shit.





	Reasons to not be tired

‘Okay, let’s see ’em,’ Jane sighed in defeat ‘how badly have I lost?’

Thor lay his cards on the table, smiling only a little smugly.

‘All it takes is practice,’ he shrugged with false modesty.

‘Oh? Really? Guess so…’ Jane dropped her own cards ‘and it looks like you need a little more.’

It was a flush.

Thor’s jaw hit his chest as she pulled the M and Ms they were using to bet towards her.

‘But… you looked so despondent,’ he mumbled.

‘I can’t do a good poker face, but I  _ am _ good at being fake-sad,’ Jane took the cards and shuffled them ‘not sure why.’

‘Hmm,’ he folded his arms ‘fair enough.’

‘Want another hand? You might actually beat me next time?’

‘No, no,’ he sighed ‘there’s only so many times a tiny mortal can hit my pride before I admit defeat.’

‘Damn straight,’ she patted the cards into a neat pile ‘so… you’ve worked on your poker face really well.’

‘Have I?’ He asked, with a smile ‘Thank you.’

‘You were really  _ really _ bad at it before,’ Jane placed the cards under her coffee table ‘plus you kept trying to let me win which was frustrating as hell, then got all indignant when I beat you- but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You thought you were being nice, but… it’s good to see you’ve finally learned to stop underestimating me… ironic, given that I’m about ten times weaker than when you last saw me.’

He regarded her for a moment- she had lost all her hair, even her eyebrows and eyelashes, and was now so thin she was practically a skeleton. She also had a stick to aid her walking- since her treatment left her bones weak and brittle. He had winced a little when he had first seen her like this, but now… he was growing used to it. It didn’t really take from her beauty all that much, there was an attractiveness to the way she still smiled with all the bravery and self-assurance that her little frame could afford. Her eyes, though sunken, were bright and large and still oddly… dangerous. 

‘Well, I’ve learned a lot in my absence,’ he said, carefully.

‘I’ll bet,’ Jane picked up her tea, a minty concoction that eased her stomach ‘hmm, man, as much as I hate to admit it… it’s good to see you again.’

‘And the same to you Jane,’ he reached over and gently took her hand ‘and… as much as I enjoy a few simple card games-’

Jane snorted, taking her hand away ‘That you keep losing.’

‘Ha, quiet,’ he chuckled ‘as I was saying, I have come to visit you because… I have a proposal for you.’

Jane’s forehead wrinkled ‘A what now?’

‘Your illness is clearly taking its toll,’ he continued ‘and I only wish to help.’

‘Help how?’

‘Though Asgard and much of her resources are gone, I still have access to healing stones and-’

She laughed, loudly, until she had to stop to fight a coughing fit.

‘Oh my God, are you  _ serious? _ ’ She wheezed ‘For real? You think I am  _ that _ stupid?’

He said nothing ‘I don’t unders-’

‘Loki, cut the bullshit.’

He stopped ‘Pardon?’

‘Cut the bullshit,’ Jane repeated, placing her cup on the table again ‘I know it’s you. I also know Thor has short hair and an eye-patch now. You could’ve at least made an effort.’

He froze for only a moment, before smiling and almost shrinking before Jane’s eyes. 

‘I knew I liked you for a reason,’ he sighed ‘you were always too good for my brother. I take it he came to see you already?’

‘Yeah,’ she sighed ‘maybe check in advance before you attempt to try and pull one over on me.’

‘I can only apologise for misjudging you my good lady.’

‘Oh blow me,’ she retorted ‘and speak quickly before I call on someone to come kick your ass.’

‘Charming,’ he raised his eyebrows ‘are you still not afraid of me?’

‘No,’ Jane looked him square in the eye ‘what’s the worst you could do to me? I mean really?’

‘Torture?’

‘You’ve got something more painful than having a tumour slowly shutting down your vital organs?’ she spat ‘Try again asshole.’

‘I could kill you.’

‘Oh no,’ Jane replied, sarcastically ‘how terrible, I have such a long life ahead of me.’

He frowned ‘I thought Thor said-’

‘Yeah I lied to him,’ she leaned back in her chair ‘I have six months, at best.’

‘But… why?’

‘Because he kept trying to cure me out of guilt,’ she rolled her eyes ‘I had to give him assurance earth medicine would work.’

‘You turned down life saving Asgardian healing… to spite him?’

Jane shrank a little defensively ‘Well, when you put it like that…’

Loki laughed ‘I knew I liked you.’

‘It was partly out of principal as well,’ Jane insisted ‘there are people on earth who deserve cancer cures a lot more than I do, just because we dated, doesn’t mean I get special treatment… besides, he never  _ actually _ gave a crap about me- like I said, he’s only doing this to appease his own guilt.’

‘As much as I enjoy having Thor taken down a peg,’ or several, he mentally added, thinking of all that had happened ‘I’m sure his intentions weren’t  _ all _ selfish.’

‘Whatever,’ Jane said, quietly.

‘You’ve given up.’

‘Yeah,’ she spat ‘I’m in a lot of pain and I’m tired. Maybe it’s just a bad day, but… I’m done. I’m so  _ so  _ done. I kind of just… want to go.’

‘Then what’s stopping you ending your life?’ He asked.

Jane laughed ‘Wow, you cut straight to the chase huh?’

‘Just being honest.’

‘Just being a dick more like,’ Jane shivered ‘but… I dunno. I can’t be bothered. I can’t even find the energy to end it all. If I wait long enough the cancer will do it for me.’

She could never be sure of Loki’s motives, but for the briefest of moments, he looked… sincere. 

‘What of your illustrious career? Is that not enough reason to live?’

Jane shrugged ‘I can barely do it anymore. Cancer has taken my energy, my mobility… how can I do my work anymore? The drugs I’m on to keep me upright and in a minimal amount of pain, but basically rob me of my short term memory. You try doing a lecture on local group collisions whilst high on morphine.’

‘Surely that’s more reason to get a cure?’

‘Again, I’m not the only scientist with cancer,’ Jane shut her eyes ‘there are children with my disease. They deserve magical cures more than I do.’

‘That’s a rather sad thing to hear,’ he replied, quietly. 

She sniffed ‘Well… things are sad.’

‘I could… end it now,’ he offered ‘I could make it very painless.’

‘Well, that’s very magnanimous of you Mr Three-Attempts-At-Genocide,’ Jane scoffed ‘but no thanks, I’m good… I’ve resolved that if I’m going to die, I want to die in the most awesome way possible. I just… don’t know how to do that yet.’

Loki looked contemplative ‘Well, what if I could… help you find that… awesome death?’

‘No. Just no, Loki, I don’t want anything from you- except maybe taking a cannonball to your nutsack for what you did to New York. And Erik.’

‘You’re still-’

‘You’re freakin’  _ right _ I’m still upset!’ She glowered ‘you literally killed over a hundred people.’

‘That was just-’

‘No, it was not ‘just’ anything, just because we are little more than ants to you doesn’t-’ she gagged ‘wait a sec.’

She pulled a bowl from under her couch and vomited. Loki pulled a face, but was impressed by the way she recovered and sat up almost immediately.

‘- mean you get to  _ treat  _ us like ants and expect me to forgive you.’

‘I did save your life.’

‘Only to save your own skin,’ she coughed up a little more ‘and… as grateful as I am- and I am- one life doesn’t make up for the hundred you took.’

He watched her as she sipped her tea ‘So, in conclusion, whatever deal you are trying to offer me- please- shove it up your ass, you slimy son of a bitch, I would rather die.’

He said nothing at first, but just watched her and cocked his head to one side ‘You have gotten much more vulgar since your illness. I like it.’

She burped ‘God I forgot how creepy you could be.’

‘My brother really didn’t deserve you.’

‘Hmh,’ she braced herself for more vomit, but none came ‘at least we agree on something.’

Loki shook his head ‘Such a martyr.’

‘You can talk.’

He took a deep breath ‘Well, I suppose I should go.’

‘See you.’

He got up and headed for the door, slowly, waiting for her to react.

She didn’t, to his surprise.

‘If you ever change your mind-’

‘I won’t,’ she levered herself up on her stick, taking the bowl with her towards the sink in her kitchenette ‘but… thanks anyway.’

‘You’re welcome.’

‘And, just for the record,’ she hobbled towards him, until she was a foot from him ‘I hope that one day, before I die, I get a chance to hit you again.’

‘My dear Jane, the opposite of love is indifference- not hate,’ he bowed ‘and I’m glad you feel so strongly about me.’

 

She tossed the vomit across his suit.

‘Me too. See you around ass-hat.’

 

He still managed a smile as he walked away from her front door.

  
  


He knew he recognised the smile, even with her face half-covered by the helmet, even as she stood at the same height as him, even with the long blonde hair and the hammer.

‘Jane,’ he whispered ‘you got your wish.’

‘One of them,’ she replied, tensing her fist around Mjolnir’s handle ‘you still going to grant my other wish?’

‘I’ll- ugh- try my best,’ he managed, smarting from where she had punched him in the solar plexus. 

She called the lightning.

‘Good to know,’ she told him, before aiming right at him ‘but I think there’re better ways to go.’

‘Hope you find them.’

He had never been more happy to get his arse handed to him by a Thor.


End file.
